Commerce Dept.'s Textile Office at Material World Forum
Matt Priest, deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s textiles and apparel office, will moderate a trade forum on April 7 in conjunction with the Material World trade show in Miami Beach, Fla.
Representatives of leading manufacturers, industry associations and regional government entities will discuss textile trade policy initiatives and direction, preferential programs and free-trade agreements, supply chain and logistics strategies, and speed to market.
The forum will take place from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on April 7 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Material World runs April 8–10.
“The Bush Administration considers free trade and increasing the competitiveness of the Western Hemisphere to be one of our highest economic priorities,” said Priest in a statement. “During this forum, we will highlight how success in the textile and apparel industries increases prosperity, creates jobs and makes the hemisphere the most competitive place in the world to do business. Material World is providing an important forum that will be an informative resource for those in the textile and apparel industry.”
Currently, the United States has freetrade agreements with Mexico, Canada, Chile, Central America and the Dominican Republic and has negotiated agreements with Peru, Colombia and Panama. The United States imports and exports more than $35 billion worth of textile and apparel goods in the Western Hemisphere annually.
Admission to the forum is free, but attendees must register for this program in advance at www.material-world.com. A reception will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. following the event. For more information, contact Richard Stetson at (202) 482-2582 or at richard_stetson@ita.doc.gov. —Robert McAllister
